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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

So last Friday was Teacher Appreciation Day for Queensland schools, I believe the other states have this day while we are on school holidays in September….

Last year I made the teachers bookmarks.

So I thought I would stick with the bookmark theme again this year….actually I googled ‘teacher appreciation gifts’ for ideas and came across some interesting posts. This one has asked her teacher friends the best and worst gifts they have received and I found it really helpful….they do not what anymore chocolate and candy!

I wanted to do the bookmarks a little different from last year, don’t want to become a one trick pony!

The only change I made was to add a layer of heavy iron-on interfacing, that way the bookmark wouldn’t be floppy.

I used fabric that would remind them of Ty – trucks, machinery and motors are pretty much all he talks about!

On the back I used this cool fabric that has Hello in lots of different languages….I got this in a strip swap. Swaps are great for adding fabrics to your stash that you probably wouldn’t normally buy but they really do come in handy!

We also made cards from scrapbooking card and Ty helped write a message and drew each of the teachers a personal picture. I thought it was really sweet that he added that himself.

Now I am thinking about end of year presents! Only about 6 weeks to go, I can’t believe this year is almost over!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

I know I have seen it on quite a few of the blogs I follow, so I thought I would join in the fun!

I am going to share my favourite finish for this year….

This is Ivy’s Quilt.

When I joined my first Bee last year I was a bit nervous about cutting up other peoples fabric and getting it wrong so I made practice blocks. But that didn’t give me 15 blocks.

Some of the other blocks come from the Quiltmakers 100 Blocks magazines and also from the Modern Blocks book.

Most of the fabric is Where The Wind Blows range and it is so perfect for a little girl!

This is the first quilt I quilted on the short-arm quilting machine I am babysitting for my SIL and I was so happy with how it turned out, no puckers on the back and even the strippy backing fabric stayed straight!

Step 1 – Using the 3.25” squares, take all the background squares and 2 of the lighter pink squares and draw a line diagonally through the centre. Put the pink squares aside for later.

Step 2 – Using all 4 of the background fabric squares and 2 of the dark pink squares and 2 of the light pink squares. 1. place one background fabric and one of the pink fabrics right sides together and using 1/4” seam allowance sew along both sides of the drawn line. 2. Cut down the drawn line with a rotary cutter. 3. Press seams open. 4. Trim squares to 2.5”.

You should have 4 HST’s (Half Square Triangle’s) with the dark pink and 4 HST’s with the lighter pink.

Step 3 - Using the 2 Light pink squares that have the line drawn on them and the remaining 2 dark pink squares. 1. Place a light pink and dark pink square right sides together and using 1/4” seam allowance sew along both sides of the line. 2. Cut along the drawn line with a rotary cutter.

Press the seams open and trim squares to 2.5”.

You should have 4 of these HST’s.

Step 4.

Using 4 of the 2.5” background fabric squares and the HST’s you just made, lay them out to make 4 units the same as above.

Sew them together just like a 4 patch block. Sew the top 2 squares together and the bottom 2 squares together using 1/4” seam allowance and press the seams open.

Sew the 2 rows together and press the seam open. You should have 4 of these units measuring 4.5” square.

Making the middle units

Step 1 – Take 4 of the 2.5” background fabric squares and the 4 grey print squares. Pair them up as above and sew 1/4” seam on one side.

Press seams open. You should have 4 rectangles measuring 2.5” x 4.5”.

Putting the block together

Lay all the completed units in position. Sew together like you would a 9 patch block.

Sew the units together to make 3 rows. Press the seams open.

Sew the rows together and press seams. You now have completed a Farmers Daughter block!

Monday, October 22, 2012

So today I have been blogging for 3 years! This brings up happy and sad emotions, it actually makes me feel rather melancholy!

Looking back at the first few posts I wrote makes me feel quite depressed, the reason I started blogging in the first place has become a UFO.

This is the Josephs Coat QAL….which actually never had the final finishing instructions posted. But I really should get this out and do something with it.

And the 2nd quilt I blogged about is also a UFO.

This is a Mariners Compass quilt that I was doing in a class. When the classes stopped I kind of got bogged down with the needleturn and I guess I gave up. I really need to get this one out too.

Doesn’t unfinished business make you feel bad?!

But there have also been a lot of positives in my blogging experience!

I have made a few, what I would say are good international blogging friends….I feel I know a bit about them and they know a bit about me and one day it would be fantastic to meet up!

I have also made and met a couple of friends who live fairly local. We have sewing days every now and then and we have even had a retreat!

The shared knowledge and freely giving of patterns and tutorials is awe inspiring. Swaps have been a great way of meeting and sharing with other bloggers. Not to mention giveaways I have won, not that there has been any lately but I have won my fair share over the years!

Which leads into this…

To celebrate my blogs anniversary I am going to give away one Reversible Shopping Tote. It has Red Chevrons for the lining/reverse fabric. And it rolls up so you can keep it in your handbag.

To enter all you need to do is be a follower and leave a comment. I would love to hear about your blogging experience if you have one, otherwise just say something nice! I will announce the winner a week from today!

I am also thinking about closing my Etsy shop (closing and opening doors) …. so I am having a sale – 50% off! You only need the coupon code which is – blogiversary – how easy is that!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

I went with my mum to the Craft and Quilt Fair in Brisbane this week. It was a great day out, just the girls with no kids!

The Qld Quilt Show is always part of the Fair and it is nice to see what other quilters are making. There was really no ‘modern’ quilts on display, mostly traditional or contemporary – not that I am an expert! ;)

Here are some of my favourites….

This one got Best Use of Colour (I think). It is so realistic!

I have a crush on 1930’s fabric! I also love the pattern, I think I could make this pattern with the Marti Michell Double Wedding Ring template set.

I had to show you this one…It is a huge king size. And made by Joanne who is co-owner with her daughter of my local patchwork shop Sew This and That. It won 1st for professional pieced.

This one was our favourite from the Redland Quilt Show that I went to a month ago with my SIL. They are 4” blocks, maybe Dear Jane or Farmers something…my memory is terrible. And rather than binding it has prairie points all the way around which look awesome!

This one was probably the most ‘modern’ of the quilts. The picture doesn’t really do it justice, it is beautiful. And it has 2 ribbons so I am not the only one who liked it!

This is the centre piece for a large quilt made entirely from 1/2” hexies. This one was on display at a demonstration stand. I wonder if I can reproduce it using my brighter hexie flowers?!

This year there didn’t seem to be as many fabric/patchwork stalls, there were a lot of scrapbooking and beading stalls. There weren’t many bargains to be had either, there was only one stall selling fat 1/4’s for $3 each everyone else had them for $5.50…still I managed to get a few things!

I have a plan for the fruit fabrics and who can resist text! The ones on the right are from Voodoo Rabbit, some Tula Pink and actually the top fabric was $2 so that was a bargain!

I found a pretty pre-printed Sashiko panel and some thread and needles to give that a go. I picked up some bag hardware and the gorgeous piece of fabric at the front has a lovely purple tone that reminded me of Jacaranda flowers.

And lastly a couple of patterns and a roll of washi tape!

Now I just need an extra, say 4 hours, a day just to sew! Wouldn’t that be great?!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Tomorrow I am going to the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Show with my mum. Can’t wait!

So, I have been frantically sewing up a couple of tote bags for us to carry our ‘new things’ in!

I love this pattern, it is a Lisa Lam pattern. What really makes it for me is the shape of the straps! I just love that little curve!

This is the inside of mum’s tote…Chevrons in brown.

And my tote has Chevrons in red….I can’t get enough of these chevrons! I have all the colours that they originally came out with, but there are so many more colours now and different size chevrons too!

These tote’s roll up and have a clip on the side…nice and handy to keep in your handbag! We have some shops here that like to charge you for bags now so these should be great for that! Not to mention that they are so much cuter than horrible plastic bags!

I have a couple more cut out that I am going to put in my shop…I checked Lisa Lam’s website for copyright and it is okay to sell bags made from her patterns as long as you credit the design back to her. So keep an eye out for those coming soon!